Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that our food and agricultural practices can have either a beneficial or detrimental impact on the global climate crisis? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kari Hamerschlag, Deputy Director of Friends of the Earth’s Food and Agriculture Program and the Climate-Friendly Food Program. Hamerschlag discusses findings from the “Farming for the Future” Report which explains the connections between food, agriculture and climate change, and agroecological solutions. (See: https://1bps6437gg8c169i0y1drtgz-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/legacy/FOE_Farming_for_the_Future_Final.pdf ). She also describes the multiple benefits of climate-friendly schools meals, including cost-savings to school districts.  (Part 2 of 2)Related website:  “Shrinking the Carbon and Water Foot Print of School Food: A Recipe for Combating Climate Change:” https://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/webiva_fs_2/FOE_FoodPrintExecSumm_7.pdf 

Did you know that The UN Secretary-General has called the climate crisis a “code red” warning for humanity, yet multinational development banks (MDBs) continue to pump public money into climate-unfriendly industrial animal agriculture? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kari Hamerschlag, Deputy Director of Friends of the Earth’s Food and Agriculture Program and the Climate-Friendly Food Program. Hamerschlag discusses her research on multinational development banks, and their role in funding industrial livestock operations (CAFOs), thereby ignoring warnings from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification. Both the IPCC and the U.N. advise transforming and scaling back greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from CAFOs in order to build resiliency and reach Paris climate goals. (Part 1)Related website:  https://foodtank.com/news/2022/06/public-banks-are-breaking-their-climate-pledges/ 

Did you know that mental health is influenced by what and how we eat? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with David Wiss, Ph.D., Registered Dietitian, and founder of Nutrition in Recovery and Wise Mind Nutrition. Wiss discusses his career path and practice.  He developed Wise Mind Nutrition to provide information on adverse childhood experiences, disordered eating, food addiction, depression, trauma-informed care, resilience in recovery, and more. As Wiss explains, whole, fiber-rich foods help nourish gut bacteria, which influence both physical and mental health.Related website:  https://wisemindnutrition.com/ 

Did you know that media literacy is essential for a healthy democracy and planet? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Faith Rogow, Ph.D., media literacy educator, founder of Insighters Education, and author of Media Literacy for Young Children: Teaching Beyond the Screen Time Debates. Rogow is an expert in helping us navigate media images and messages, tease out mis- and dis-information, and understand media’s power to influence how we think and feel. In an uncertain world, Rogow helps us respond with imagination rather than fear.Related website:  https://insighterseducation.com/

Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency, our government agency that reviews and licenses pesticides relies almost exclusively on manufacturers’ safety data, which is rife with self-interest? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with John P. Wargo, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Health and Politics at Yale University’s School of the Environment and author of the award winning book, Our Children’s Toxic Legacy: How Science and Law Fail to Protect us from Pesticides. Wargo discusses his latest report, “Pesticide Risks: From Our Farms to Our Homes,” (Environment & Human Health, Inc.), and asks: “Why in the world would you want to expose your family to a mixture of chemicals?” Wargo describes how we’ve been sold a lawn “narrative,” but that common lawn chemicals put our water supply and health at risk.Related website:  https://www.ehhi.org/Pesticide_Risks_web_new.pdf 

Did you know that there’s a 51-acre planned development in northeast Austin, TX,  that provides affordable, permanent housing, an organic garden, microenterprise opportunities, and a supportive community for people coming out of chronic homelessness? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Alan Graham, founder, President and CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, and “lead visionary” behind MLF’s Community First! Village. Graham discusses his perspective on the cause of homelessness, and the solutions, starting with food and family.  Community First! Village offers a national model for preventing homelessness with dignity.Related website:  https://mlf.org/

Did you know that just because a pesticide is registered with the EPA doesn’t mean it’s safe? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Alexis Temkin, Ph.D. toxicologist and lead author of the Environmental Working Group’s “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce,” including the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen.” Temkin describes the process of pesticide testing and regulation, and how the EWG’s guide was developed to help consumers enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables while protecting their family’s health, as well as farm worker health and our environment. The Environmental Working Group, as well as Beyond Pesticides: www.beyondpesticides.org provides information on produce safety and the benefits of organic food and farming.Related website:  https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/about.php

Did you know that Abbott’s infant formula contamination resulted in the death of two children? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Bill Marler, personal injury lawyer and internationally recognized expert in foodborne illness litigation. Marler discusses the Abbott infant formula contamination fiasco, formula shortage, inadequate regulation and unintended consequences of industry consolidation. Marler’s Food Safety News has covered this issue extensively, as well as food recalls, foodborne illness outbreaks and investigations.Related website:  www.foodsafetynews.com 

Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one third of all food in the U.S. goes uneaten and in 2018, about 81 percent, or 20.3 tons  of households' wasted food ended up in landfills or combustion facilities? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Rhonda Sherman, M.S, Extension  Specialist on composting, recycling and solid waste reduction at North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Affectionately known as “the worm queen,” Sherman explains that preventing food from going to waste is one of the easiest and most powerful actions we can take to save money and lower our climate change footprint by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conserving natural resources. Related website:  https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/show_ep3_pdf/1649787791/22094/ 

Did you know that the American food supply is increasingly contaminated with the herbicide glyphosate? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Henry Rowlands, journalist and Founder/Director of Sustainable Pulse and the Detox Project. Rowland dives into his latest report: “Glyphosate Contamination: The Poison in Our Daily Bread,” which reveals the glyphosate levels found in commonly purchased grocery store foods, and explains why such foods as bread, oats, barley, beans, peas and lentils are contaminated. See the report here:  https://detoxproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Glyphosate_Contamination_Report_Final1.pdf  Related website:  www.detoxproject.org